Today’s Action: Support Native Americans on two bills – vote is tomorrow!

The Wampanoag Tribe are well-known for their place at the table at the first Thanksgiving – which, by the way, was probably very different than the elementary school textbook image in your head. Once numbering 50,000-100,000 before white settlers, there are now only 4000-5000 Wampanoag left.

The Mashpee Wampanoag only gained land in 2015 under President Obama, and have built schools, housing projects, and their own police and courts systems in the years since, with plans for a casino to fund. But a federal judge has ruled that the Obama administration acted outside its authority and Trump is choosing not to defend the tribe, leaving the Mashpee Wampanoag in legal limbo and without their due sovereignty.

And why is Trump not acting on behalf of this tribe? Because a buddy of his also a lobbyist for a nearby casino and doesn’t want the competition. And Trump hid his corruption with a racist tweet, because racism is more acceptable to his base. Seriously.

We are long overdue giving sovereignty to Native tribes in our country, and treating them as independent nations (just as we do other nations). This will almost certainly not happen under Trump – but passing these two bills are a first step in that direction, showing Republicans and Democrats alike that the treatment and respect of our indigenous populations should be a priority as we look at 2020.